Sept 2017 – Cob Rocket Mass Heater Weekend

I’m going on tour in September to teach a rocket mass heater workshop at our friend Claire Templar’s place Tir Na Nog in Mayo. Not many of these get built so its a rare opportunity to find out how and get hands on experience.

Date: 23rd to 24th September 2017Venue: Tir na nOg, Ballyhaunis, MayoPrice: €100 for the 2 day course, including lunch and unlimited hot drinks.

Learn how to make your own high efficiency wood heating device for your own “project” with Steve Golemboski-Byrne from Lackan Cottage Farm, a low impact and off grid small holding in County Down.

A Rocket Mass Heater (RMH) is a super-efficient wood-fired heating system composed of two parts: The first is a rocket stove, consisting of a feed tube, burn tunnel and heat riser; The second is the mass chimney, through which hot exhaust gases from the rocket stove are ducted into a thermal heat storage made of masonry materials like cob, stone, urbanite or brick. All of the heat that goes up the chimney with a conventional wood stove is saved and stored in a Rocket Mass Heater. The heated up Mass can radiate heat for up to 48hrs or longer after the fire is out. A RMH can also incorporate a cooking surface and an oven, and can be finished to become a beautiful centrepiece in a room.

In this workshop, you will learn about the design parameters for making a cob RMH, and will assist in the full construction of a functional heater, from creating an insulated base to laying out the chimney, from assembling the fire brick core to mixing and laying the cob.

The workshop will pay particular attention to appropriate design, sourcing of materials and the use of recycled and natural building materials in the creation of a RMH.

This course is suitable for anyone with an interest in Rocket Mass Heaters, cob or natural building methods.

It will be very hands on, please bring old work clothes and wellies as you will be mixing cob by foot. Our intention is to have it built and lit buy the end of the weekend!

**To enable effective facilitation of this type of learning there is a maximum of 10 participants so please do let us know as soon as possible if you are intending to join**

Cost:

The course costs €100 for 2 days which includes an abundance of hot drinks and snacks and a hot lunch on both days, using fresh ingredients from the garden.

Also included are course notes, and camping/parking space for anyone who wishes to stay over. (There are also other accommodation options; B&B’S, Hotel etc in the area and we also have a yurt, bell tent and caravan for rent here at Tir Na nOg. Please enquire about availability)

The venue, Tir Na nOg, is a permaculture smallholding project located 5 minutes from Ballyhaunis in County Mayo. As well as an acre and a half of land that has lain fallow for 20 years there is also a 400 year old cottage under renovation using natural building methods. Full directions will be sent with booking confirmation.